scientific nameEupithecia stellatahabitatIn Alberta stellata has been collected in the boreal forest north of Lake Athabasca (La Butte Creek) south to about Buffalo Lake in the Aspen parklands.identificationA small moth (approx. 2 cm wingspan) with mottled brown-pink forewings crossed by an irregular and usually incomplete basal and median band of black. Hind wings paler, with a small dark discal dot, dark grey-pink shading along the outer margin and a broad blackish stripe along the inner margin. In Alberta it could only be confused with E. bowmani Cass. & Swett., which is much smaller and darker and is known only from the Alberta foothills and Manitoulin Island, ON.life historyVery poorly known. There appears to be a two annual broods; a small one in early June and a larger one from late July through early September. Adults are nocturnal and come to light. The early stages and larval hosts appear to be unknown. The fact that it was not recorded during the FIDS surveys suggests it uses a non-woody host.rangeCentral Manitoba to northern Alberta, south to California and Mexico. In Alberta stellata has been collected in the boreal forest north of Lake Athabasca (La Butte Creek) south to about Buffalo Lake in the Aspen parklands.taxonomic hierarchy

notesEpithecia stellata is a beautiful little moth in a genus of moths not known for their good looks. It is unusual in being colorful, with brownish-pink forewings crossed by two irregular jet-black bands. It also has an unusual range, and even though it occurs in the Boreal forest and parklands, it is apparently restricted in Canada to the prairie provinces. It also appears to be globally rather rarely collected.quick linkhttp://entomology.museums.ualberta.ca/searching_species_details.php?s=6398